Female Cuban Uber Driver Assaulted by Passenger in Florida
A Cuban woman working as an Uber driver in South Florida claimed that she was assaulted by a male passenger when she threatened to call 911 after he spat on her on Saturday morning in Overtown.
Cuban Uber Driver Feels Unsafe in Florida After Being Attacked by Passenger
According to NBC 6 Miami, the female Uber Driver from Cuba was identified as Sumey Martinez Arzuaga, who has been working and living in Florida for seven months. The Uber driver said that the attack happened at around 10 a.m. near Northwest 1st Place and 13th. Martinez stated that the passenger wanted her to make two stops during the trip, and she told him to be quick about it.
The driver said that her reminder prompted the passenger to become angry and told Martinez to cancel the trip, to which the driver agreed. However, instead of agreeing to cancel the trip, the passenger became more enraged and allegedly spat at her. Martinez got out of the car and threatened to call 911, but the passenger then punched her in the face and ran off.
Moreover, Martinez said that she does not feel safe anymore in the U.S., adding that she was not sure if she would ever drive for rideshare ever again.
Based on the available images, Martinez suffered from a bloody lip and a black eye. She reported the incident to police, and authorities stated that they were investigating the attack on the Uber driver.
When NBC 6 requested Uber for comment, the company did not respond to the request. However, Martinez shared that a company representative called her at the hospital to check her medical status.
Miami Fire Rescue responded to the scene where the attack allegedly happened. Martinez said that she went to Palmetto Hospital following the attack, where she received treatment and stitches to her lip.
The Cuban driver received a tetanus shot and bloodwork because the man's spit went into her eye.
Martinez also mentioned that they had a hard time communicating with each other because she dos not know how to speak English well. Martinez believed that it was the language barrier that set off the passenger.
READ MORE: Pregnant Nurse's Unborn Child Dies After a Patient Shoves Her Against a Wall in Florida Hospital
Recent Uber Attack in Florida
On the other hand, a 19-year-old man, identified as Edward Milo, was arrested in August after he punched an Uber driver and pushed her out of her moving SUV outside Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach.
Based on the arrest report, the 44-year-old Uber driver picked up Milo in her gray Toyota Highlander. As she was heading toward the exit of the hospital, the suspect punched the Uber driver several times on her face. The woman told the police that she tried to block the punches and yell for help but she was not able to escape because Milo kept striking her.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Jess Smith
WATCH: Uber Driver Attacked by Passenger Speaks Out - NBC 6 South Florida